We at Development Dialogues are constantly trying to expose what lies beneath the glitzy exterior of 'development' the world over. The blog was started as an archive for the articles and reports pertaining to the land acquisitions in West Bengal and India. The scope of the blog has since been expanded to include resistance movements against state and corporate repressions from around the world.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

EXPERIMENTER invites you to the launch of SEZ Who? curated by Tushar Joag on Sunday 21st June 2009, 6-8pm.

SEZ Who? opening: Sunday, 21st June, 6 – 8pm

SEZ Who? is a collaborative project led by a group of artists formed by Justin Ponmany, Prajakta Potnis, Sharmila Samant, Tushar Joag & Uday Shanbhag exploring the impact and rationale of commissioning Special Economic Zones in India. Unlike a typical exhibition, it brings into the gallery environment a live collaborative project that transforms constantly to finally realize its end by creating SEZ like settings and experiences. SEZ Who? attempts to open up new points of view on the physical transformations and emotional challenges of human dislocation.

Tushar Joag will be present at the opening to introduce you to the project and answer your questions.

Experimenter is open everyday between 11.30 AM - 7.30 PM except on Sundays. For more details visit www.experimenter.in

What Is SEZ Who?

SEZ Who? is a project led by a group of artists and Experimenter exploring the impact and rationale of setting up Special Economic Zones in India. Unlike a typical exhibition, it brings into the gallery environment a kind of activism-based collaborative project, which transforms every week to finally realize its end by creating settings and experiences for the viewers of the establishment of an SEZ like conditions. The larger objective of doing such a project is to create SEZ construction like situations and thereby sensitize the viewers and open new points of views on the physical transformations and emotional challenges of human dislocation.

What is the role of the Artists in this project

Five leading contemporary Indian artists, (Tushar Joag, Prajakta Potnis, Sharmila Samant, Justin Ponmany & Uday Shanbag), led by Tushar formed a fact-finding team and spent 5 months travelling, researching and interacting with locals in areas around Mumbai that have been proposed to be demarcated as SEZ’s. They have documented notes, interviews, events, protests and attended rallies. They have then reacted in artistic coded language to envision this project and hope to extract a stance on the issue from through the project & from the viewers.

What is the role of the Gallery in this project? - put 1/ 2 quotes

Experimenter has in collaboration with Tushar Joag envisioned this project and is another step in its dedication towards using the strength of contemporary art to impact and challenge viewers. Also keeping in line with engaging meaningful exhibitions Experimenter acts like an incubator of concepts and ideas that go beyond addressing only the needs of the art viewing community.

What is the line up of events

Date

Event

Description

20th July 09

SEZ Who? launch

Tushar Joag introduces the month long project at Experimenter through an interactive session

29th June

SEZ Who? transformation

The gallery is not just a gallery anymore, Find out.

The SEZ Who? lucky draw contest opens

14th July

Film screenings

4 docu-film screenings including one on the SEZ Who recording of reporting from Gorai SEZ